Naruto: Drop System

Upon arriving in the Land of Demons, Yagyu quickly took stock of the situation.

The ghost army hadn't destroyed the Land of Demons yet. Instead, these undead puppet soldiers, resembling ancient terracotta warriors, had surrounded the land, forming a tightening circle and slowly advancing inward, searching for the Miko in a methodical, carpet-like sweep.

In Moryo's mind, the Miko was the only being in the world that posed a threat to it. Once the Miko was eliminated, Moryo would be invincible in the shinobi world. With its immortality and the unkillable ghost army, it could easily accomplish the feat of destroying or conquering the world.

Yagyu formed a hand sign and instructed his Wood Clones stationed in the Land of Demons. Soon, his Wood Clone had located the hiding place of this generation's Miko, named Shion, and left a Flying Thunder God seal there.

In the blink of an eye, Yagyu's surroundings transformed dramatically—he was now outside a shrine.

Yagyu walked toward the shrine entrance.

"Who are you?!"

Before Yagyu could enter, a man dressed in priestly robes blocked his path with a wary expression. Despite noticing Yagyu's Konoha forehead protector, he remained on guard.

"My name is Yagyu, an elite jonin of Konoha. I've been assigned to protect Miko Shion," Yagyu replied, holding up his hand, where a green sapling grew in his palm.

Nothing could confirm his identity better than this display of the Wood Release.

The priest visibly relaxed and bowed respectfully. "Lord Yagyu, I apologize for my rudeness. I am Shion-sama's guard, my name is Ashihara."

"It's fine; your caution is understandable," Yagyu replied. "Where is Miko Shion?"

"Shion-sama is inside. Please follow me."

Ashihara gestured respectfully and led Yagyu through the shrine. Passing through the main hall, they reached the inner sanctum, where Yagyu spotted the Miko kneeling at the far end.

Dressed in a traditional white robe with a red hakama, her collar adorned with a bell brooch, Shion looked every bit the part of a Miko. Her light brown hair and serene, pure aura gave her an air of sacred grace.

"Shion-sama, the Konoha guardian has arrived," Ashihara announced respectfully.

Hearing this, Shion slowly opened her eyes—whether from meditation or prayer, it was unclear.

Her beautiful violet eyes met Yagyu's, but then her gaze shifted, turning into a striking shade of blue-violet with concentric, layered patterns radiating a holy, intimidating aura.

Those eyes locked intently on Yagyu.

"You… you…"

A few seconds later, her eyes returned to their natural violet hue, and her face showed shock as she stared at him in disbelief.

"That ability just now… was that the Miko's power to foresee the future?" Yagyu asked with interest. "Judging by your reaction, did my future surprise you?"

"No… it's not that," Shion shook her head, calming herself. She looked at him intently and said slowly, "Your future… is a complete blank."

"What do you mean?" Yagyu's brow furrowed.

"I don't know myself," Shion replied, visibly confused. "Usually, if I can't see a future, my foresight won't activate at all. But this time, it activated, yet all I saw was emptiness."

Ashihara, standing beside them, looked at Yagyu in shock. The Miko's prophecies were known for their absolute accuracy, with no history of failure—yet now there was an exception.

Could this man have broken free from the bonds of fate, leaving his future entirely unknown?

Yagyu pondered this revelation, considering Shion's reaction as genuine.

It raised intriguing questions: Was this blank future due to his otherworldly origin, or perhaps his mysterious system?

Whatever the reason, it was good news for Yagyu.

This might mean that even the Great Toad Sage's prophecies could be ineffective against him.

Thinking that he might possess a built-in immunity to future-scrying abilities filled Yagyu with satisfaction; this trip had already proven worthwhile.

"On my way here," Yagyu informed her, "I saw Moryo's ghost army searching and destroying everything in a wide net. At their pace, it won't be long before they reach the heart of the Land of Demons."

"Konoha's elite forces are already on their way. My mission is to escort you to the Land of Swamps."

"If you have no further preparations, Miko Shion, let's depart."

"Understood."

Shion nodded and rose to her feet, her formerly cold expression now filled with curiosity about Yagyu.

Despite her outwardly stoic demeanor, Shion wasn't an aloof or indifferent Miko. Instead, she was a kind-hearted girl, appearing cold because her precognitive ability had instilled a belief in fate's unchangeable nature.

Since she couldn't help others escape their destinies, she chose to bury her kindness, accepting the reality as it was.

But now, Shion had encountered someone with a blank future, something she had never seen before.

This "failure" in her otherwise flawless ability filled her with excitement rather than fear.

Could it be that destiny could be defied and changed?

Intrigued by this possibility, Shion decided to stay close to Yagyu, observing him closely.

Yagyu was unaware of Shion's thoughts.

Seeing her rise, he turned to Ashihara. "You should leave as well. Moryo's forces will find this place soon. I'll handle escorting Miko Shion."

"I entrust her to you, Lord Yagyu."

Ashihara didn't argue or seek Shion's approval. Unlike Shion, who was isolated from worldly affairs, he knew of Yagyu's strength and reputation as the wielder of the Wood Release and trusted him entirely.

Ashihara did plan to create a distraction by using his secret technique to disguise himself as Shion, drawing Moryo's army away and buying them time.

As if reading his thoughts, Shion's violet eyes shifted to blue-violet once again, visions of the future flashing in her mind.

When her eyes returned to normal, she turned to him with her usual aloofness and said calmly, "Ashihara, abandon that thought. You will die if you do."

"Understood, Shion-sama."

Ashihara bowed respectfully, though whether he truly took her words to heart was uncertain.

Yagyu didn't fully grasp their exchange but didn't dwell on it.

"Let's go, Miko Shion," he said, beckoning her and heading out of the shrine.

Shion followed closely behind him.

After watching them leave, Ashihara slipped away through a hidden passage in the shrine.

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